MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson said an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) called up one lawmaker to make early insertions in the proposed national budget for 2026.
The senator on Sunday said a caller claiming to be "Undersecretary Cabral" from DPWH called up a staff member of Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III shortly after the May 2025 senatorial elections.
"One 'Undersecretary Cabral' called Sotto's staff and told them to insert what they wanted to insert [in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026]," Lacson said in a radio interview.

"If Sen. Sotto was one of those called by that executive, who else could have been contacted similarly and submitted their proposed insertions?" he said in Filipino., This news data comes from:http://jyxingfa.com
"Senator Sotto told me he did not submit anything because we are advocating transparency and good governance. The question now is, how many members of the House and Senate made insertions?" Lacson added.
DPWH exec asked lawmaker to make budget insertions — Lacson
- Tourists dice with danger on Hanoi's train street
- Comelec defers BARMM district reconstitution
- Remulla pledges transparency and impartiality as Ombudsman
- Thailand ruling party moves to dissolve parliament
- Actress Angel Aquino victim of 'deepfake,' seeks prosecution of perpetrators of cyber pornography
- Construction managers, developers back Housing chief's anti-corruption advocacy
- Marcos signs mining tax regime law
- Gaza at 'breaking point,' says UN food agency chief after visit
- Hontiveros urges probe on Chinese faking Filipino identity
- Argentina hunts Nazi-looted painting revealed in property ad